


What Could've Been and What Will Be

by Idreamofhazel



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Case Fic, Djinni & Genies, F/M, Fluff and Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-08 23:30:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18904861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Idreamofhazel/pseuds/Idreamofhazel
Summary: A case brings you and Sam back together two years after he rescued you from a Djinn. It’s a bittersweet reunion that leaves you with some choices to make.(Originally posted April 2016 on Tumblr)





	What Could've Been and What Will Be

The dim light of the library and the comforting smell of old books was making Sam drowsy, but he continued to search for cases on his laptop. One in particular had caught his eye. After spending a couple of minutes staring at the bright screen that was fatiguing his eyes, debating on whether to mention this one to Dean or not, he finally spoke up.

“Hey Dean, I think I’ve got something,” Sam said, looking up from his laptop.

Mumbling through a mouth full of cheeseburger, Dean said, “Yeah, what is it?”

“There’s been a few disappearances in a small town in Indiana. All of them have been young women, each about 2 or 3 weeks apart. Could be nothing, but we could at least check it out.”

The name of this small town sent Sam’s memory and emotions into a flurry. He kept this from Dean, though. He didn’t want to get his hopes up, and yet he also hoped this case would turn out to be nothing, for your sake.

(Y/N).

He hadn’t thought about you in such a long time, having pushed his memories and feelings about you under the surface in order to protect you from this kind of life. The hunting life. He hoped this potential case wouldn’t jeopardize that. Of course, he didn’t even know if you still lived in the same town. Maybe you had moved on to something better. He hoped you had.

“Eh, why not. We’ve been stuck in this bunker for awhile anyway. How far away is it?” Dean asked while stretching his arms behind his head and then getting up from his chair at the table. The sudden screech of the chair legs across the floor jolted Sam awake from his thoughts.

“Uh…about 10 hours,” Sam answered, unsure if Dean would agree to check out this possible hunt, knowing how far away it is. But Sam had a hunch about what could be happening in this town. He decided to to wait on revealing anything to Dean, though. After all, this could be a completely different monster than last time, or maybe it was just humans.

“Wow. Why this case? Isn’t there something closer we could check out?”

“Not that I found. It’s this or nothing.” That wasn’t entirely truthful, though. Sure, there were some other small leads closer to Kansas, but Sam knew there was a higher possibility of this case turning out to be a hunt.

“Ok, ok,” Dean grumbled, “I’ll start packing stuff up. We can leave in the morning.”

Dean left the library. Sam stayed behind, staring at the laptop screen, but letting his mind wander to the last time he was in the town that him and Dean were about to travel to.

* * *

_“This has been the fourth disappearance in 6 weeks. Catherine Smith went missing two days ago from her campus apartment. Her roommate had just returned from a weekend trip and noticed that…”_

_You promptly changed the channel. You had heard about a couple of the other disappearances. They were all over the news, but you tried to ignore them. It’s not that you didn’t care about the victims, but you had done so well to rebuild your life after what happened two years ago, so you tried to stay away from anything that could trigger the memories you had been successful in conquering lately. Even if these disappearances turned out to be just a serial killer, or a even a coincidence, it was best if you stayed away from anything that suggested “supernatural” for now. You turned your focus to the movie that was now on the screen. Another one of those cheesy, romantic tv movies. You watched it anyway. It was sort of a guilty pleasure of yours._

_After dinner, you felt so exhausted from your long day at work and your full stomach that you decided to turn in for the night. It was only 9:30, but you thought that even if you didn’t get out much, you at least had your life together with a stable job. That’s the best you could ask for right now considering what you had been through. After checking all the locks on the doors and windows, you washed up, changed into some shorts and a t-shirt, turned on some quiet piano music, and got into bed. The copious amount of pillows around you comforted you and made you feel as if you were in your own, safe cocoon, far away from any monsters. Drifting off to sleep, your mind wandered to a face you hadn’t seen in quite some time…_

* * *

Dean’s insanely fast driving turned what was supposed to be a ten and a half hour trip into a seven hour trip. It was a wonder that Dean never got pulled over. He and Sam reached their destination around noon, found a motel, and settled in. The long drive had afforded Sam plenty of time to mull over his memories of you and allow his imagination to slowly drift to the possibility of seeing you again. Dean had noticed Sam’s absentmindedness during the drive and even while they were unpacking at the motel. He had barely spoken since they hit the road this morning. Something was definitely up with Sam today.

“Hey Sam?” Dean said. He and Sam were sitting in their motel room gathering any last minute information they could before heading out to start investigating the kidnappings.

Looking up from his laptop, Sam replied, “Yeah, what’s up?”

“Everything ok? You seem a little…distracted. You sure you’re up for a possible hunt? We need to be focused”

“Uh, no, I’m…I mean, yeah, everything’s good. I’m definitely focused on the case.”

That much was true. Sam was probably more focused on this case than any other one he’d been on lately, except maybe for the ones involving Amara. Sam had been searching for you on the internet, trying to find any information at all that would help him protect you if needed. When Dean interrupted his search, Sam had just found your address. You still lived in town. Sam’s heart sank and rose all at the same time. He might see you again, but at what cost?

“Ok, well let’s go to the police station and get the names of the families we’re supposed to interview. Hopefully the drive here was worth it,” Dean offered.

“Sure, yeah. Good idea,” Sam agreed, rubbing his hands over his eyes and then getting up from his chair. He pulled out his suit from his bag and began to change.

\-----------------------

“Ma’am, we understand this is difficult, but the FBI has some new leads that might possibly help us solve this case and find out what happened to your daughter.”

Sam was always able to get even the most reluctant person to open up to him. His skills in this area were invaluable to his and Dean’s work. Dean had spent most of the day as Sam’s assistant, watching while Sam easily and softly got the victims’ families to talk to him about the most difficult time of their lives. Right now, Sam was talking to the mother of the third victim. The first two victims’ bodies had already been discovered. Sam knew it was only a matter of time until the police found the third one too, but he couldn’t find it in himself to completely crush this mother’s hopes.

“Do you…do you think she could still be alive?” Mrs. Riley questioned from behind her tear-soaked tissue.

Hesitantly, Sam looked at her and, with the most sincerity he could muster, he replied, “As long as they haven’t found her…her body yet, there’s still hope.”

Mrs. Riley nodded, looking down at the floor. Dean and Sam glanced at each other, signaling that it was time to move on to the next house.

Sam and Dean thanked Mrs. Riley for her time, went out to the Impala, and drove to their next destination. Dean had yet to discover a connection between the victims or any leads that suggested creatures other than humans being involved, but Sam’s head was churning with possible explanations. However, he was going to wait until they interviewed the fourth family before telling Dean about any of the information he knew.

Pulling up to the driveway, the lot was tranquil and suburban. A large willow tree swayed in the wind in front of the picturesque gray house. Flowers lined the front of the house and hung from pots on the porch. Memories of when Sam questioned your friend’s family in their home about your disappearance hit him like a brick wall, making the scene hard to take in. This house looked so similar. Sam remembered finding out that you didn’t have much of a family anymore. Your friend and her parents had become your own surrogate family ever since your mom died. Your mother’s death hit you hard and you slipped into a dark period of your life. You loved to read and spend time in the quiet, alone with your own thoughts. You eventually found peace in this. Sam remembered showing a slight smile in that moment when he was told this, recognizing that he completely understood that need. You had gone to the library the day you disappeared. Thinking back, it was unfortunate that he hadn’t found out all of this information from you.

“Man, are you sure we need to talk to this family? I’m just not getting anything from this case.” Dean was becoming frustrated and bored. He was ready to move onto a real case.

“I really think we need to talk to the last victim’s family. Everything is still fresh in their minds. They could remember something more helpful,” Sam argued.

Huffing, Dean got out of the car and walked up to the door. Sam swiftly followed. The door was answered quickly by a woman, the mother. The two brothers flashed their badges and she welcomed them in and offered them something to drink.

“No, thank you, Mrs. Smith. We don’t want to take up too much of your time, really. We just need to ask you a few questions. The FBI has a new angle for the case, so we just need some more information,” Sam said to Mrs. Smith.

“Of course, please, ask whatever you need to if it helps bring my daughter home safely.”

Sam and Dean ran through the usual questions–cold spots, weird noises in the walls, sulfur smell–just to make sure this case fit with the rest. They asked about her daughter, what she had been up to lately, and how her life was going. Everything Catherine’s mother said was positive. She was doing well in college, had a great boyfriend, and was on the college basketball team. She had recently moved in with a roommate in order to make the last step toward adulthood: being out on her own. Her disappearance couldn’t have come at a worse time. Catherine’s life reminded Sam of your own. You had already graduated college when he met you, but you were just starting over again in your life. You had a new job, your own place. Your family had revealed all this to Sam. They were devastated by your disappearance. You had been able to overcome your mothers death and move on from your grief, only to be kidnapped and have your own life threatened…

At the end of the interview, Mrs. Smith asked Sam to let her know of any changes in the case and he agreed. Sam and Dean left and returned to the motel.

“I don’t know, Sam. I don’t see anything weird about this case. I don’t think it’s our type of thing,” Dean said, “What are you thinking?”

Sam replied, “I want to talk to Catherine’s roommate. Her mom seemed to think everything was fine, but this roommate could have some different information.”

Sam had already begun to piece this case together. It was so similar to last time. Each of the young women who had been taken were just starting out on their lives, but still struggling with something. He just needed to be sure all the disappearances fit this description.

“Sure, whatever,” Dean grumbled, “You go do that. I’m taking a nap. But if there’s nothing, we’re leaving.”

Sam nodded and headed out the door. He was beginning to think he was going to have to tell Dean about the last time he worked this case. He would keep you a secret though. The less involved you were with this monster, the better.

\-----------------------

Catherine’s roommate had a very different story to tell. Even though she was reluctant to tell Sam about Catherine’s recent misfortunes, Sam eventually pulled the information from her.

Catherine’s issues started about a month ago. Her boyfriend broke up with her and the heartbreak caused her grades to slip. She got suspended from the basketball team, but kept all of this from her parents. She had felt a lot of pressure from them to succeed in college, but she had hit a rough spot. Her roommate also let Sam know that she had starting talking to another man. The roommate never saw him around, but Catherine would go to see him often. He hadn’t called about Catherine since her disappearance, though. With all of this information in hand, Sam knew without a doubt, the monster had returned.

Before going back to the hotel, Sam drove to a small park and gave himself a few minutes to think about what he was going to do next, to think about you. 

You still lived in town. The monster was back. There was no guarantee that he would come after you again, but Sam had to make sure you were safe. His thoughts flashed back to when he found you last time, tied up and barely alive. He saved you just in time. His priority was to get you out safely and he knew he couldn’t do that and go after the monster at the same time. He was hunting alone and so he sacrificed killing the monster in that moment in order to get you to a hospital. He remembered how brave you were, how, with all the strength your weak and tired body could muster, you tried to sit up in his car, to speak, to tell him about your abductor. You had said, “You’re probably going to think I’m crazy but…” Sam had stopped you and explained that he knew all about the monsters. When you both got to the hospital, Sam tenderly carried you through the doors and held you until nurses came with a cot and wheeled you away. He explained how he found you as an FBI agent and told the nurses that he needed to stay with you. They cleaned you up and checked for broken bones and any other serious problems. 

Sam admired how calm you stayed, allowing the nurses and doctors to check every inch of you for injuries. You answered their questions, quickly coming up with a decent cover story, leaving out all details of anything non-human. He remembered thinking that you were so intelligent. When the hospital staff was done getting you set up in a room, Sam pulled a chair up to your bed and asked you your name.

“(Y/N),” she answered softly, “I can’t thank you enough-”

Sam had put his hand up to say that you didn’t need to thank him. You smiled at him–god, your smile was so beautiful–and nodded as if to say that you understood that this was Sam’s job. He didn’t need a thank you right now. He had only needed to know you would be ok. He asked you what the doctors had said about your condition. You checked out fine, you were just dehydrated and had suffered from blood loss. You were able to go home in a couple of days as long as there were no complications. Sam stayed with you until evening. He didn’t want to leave, but the monster was still out there. Sam explained to you that he had to go. You would be ok, but he was going to leave town after he finished up here. You had seemed to understand. He couldn’t believe how understanding you were in that moment. It’s as if you already knew what kind of life he led. You amazed Sam, with your calm demeanor, your intelligence, your understanding, and with your beauty. Sam had no idea how someone who had just been through hell could still look so beautiful only a few hours after escaping it.

When Sam got up to leave, he took your hand and held it for a moment, smiling at you. He laid it gently back onto the bed and then walked to the door.

You stopped him. “Wait,” you said, “I don’t know your name.”

He turned around, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upward, and he gladly answered, “It’s Sam.”

Sam never found the monster again. He tracked it for three more days, but it had vanished.

A buzz from Sam’s phone brought him back to the present. It was Dean.

“Hey, where are you? Is everything ok? You’ve been gone for hours.”

“Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I’ve just been thinking, trying to piece together this case. I’m on my way back now. The roommate’s information was really helpful. I know what we’re hunting.”

\-----------------------

“We’re hunting a djinn,” declared Sam.

He had returned to the motel after Dean called him. Dean highly doubted that this case would turn out to be a hunt, but Sam knew otherwise. He decided it was time to reveal what he knew to Dean.

“What? How do think that?” Dean asked, the surprise in his voice unmasked.

“I’ve hunted it before.”

If Sam didn’t have Dean’s attention before, he certainly did now.

“What do you mean you’ve hunted it before? You didn’t think that was a good idea to tell me before we talked to all those families? We could’ve already ganked this thing!” Dean voices was terse and agitated.

Sam had already thought of his response. “I needed to be sure. I didn’t want to hunt after something that wasn’t there. I thought I could just, I don’t know, play it by ear, see what happens.”

Dean relaxed a bit, but was still visibly annoyed that Sam hadn’t just told him this from the get-go. “Well, how do you know it’s here now? And when did you hunt this stupid genie anyway?”

“It was after Kevin’s death, when you took off. I worked a couple cases while you were gone. I came across the stories about the kidnappings and decided to check it out. And now the same exact pattern is happening again.”

“And what pattern is that exactly?”

“The djinn finds young women who are struggling in life, who would easily succumb to his promises of something different, something better. He disguises himself as a human, like that djinn that almost got you, Brigitta. He gets to know them and then, when he has their trust, he takes them to his hideout and uses his magic on them. It happened this way last time and it’s happening again. Every woman who’s been taken has been struggling with something or had a tragedy happen recently.”

“What about Catherine? Her mother seemed to think everything was peachy.”

“Yes, even her. Her roommate told me she was recently dumped, starting failing her classes, and got suspended from the basketball team. And she started talking to some ‘mystery guy’ who the roommate never saw come around.”

Dean began to put the pieces together himself. “Ok, so this creep finds women who are at the worst points of their lives and then feeds off of them? Great. We’re hunting a sociopathic djinn with a ‘type.’”

“I know.”

“Sammy…why didn’t you off this guy the first go around?”

Sam knew exactly what to say to get Dean off his case. “I-I was hunting alone. He was stronger than I expected. He knocked me out and when I woke up he was gone. I tried tracking him, but he vanished. I thought he’d skipped town.”

“So this guy is extra creepy because he’s still obsessed with this town and these women. We need to do this right this time. Do you think he’d hole up in the same place?”

“I don’t know if he’d be dumb enough to do that, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. Let’s get the addresses of any other abandoned places in town and check out a few of them tonight. We can’t waste any more time, he’s still got Catherine.”

“Sam, we don’t exactly have an endless supply of lamb’s blood lying around to use. Why don’t you check the addresses while I go to some butcher shops or something and see if I can get the blood.” That was going to be an amusing conversation, Dean thought.

“Ok, good plan.”

Sam, stretching out across one of the dingy motel beds began to quickly search for any building in the area that the djinn might use to hide his victims. Dean took off to get the supplies.

* * *

_(Earlier that same day)_

_At the office, you couldn’t stop thinking about the disappearances. Fliers were posted on the streets, local news channels were constantly updating the public, and your co-workers wouldn’t stop discussing it. You couldn’t escape any of it. Your thoughts were running circles in your head all morning. What if it was that man again? Or some other horrible monster? You never did find out the name of that creature or if Sam had finally caught up to him._

_Sam…_

_He was in your dreams last night, a blur of tender, caring gestures and smiles. This dream was just like the day he rescued you, hazy and surreal from the effects of what you had just experienced. Your brain took a leap of faith: What if he was in town hunting again?_

_“(Y/N)! Helloooo? Hey!” A hand was snapping in front of your face almost on queue to tell you that your imagination was being unreasonable. It was your co-worker, Grace._

_“Geez, what has gotten into you today? You’re never this spacey. I’ve been trying to get your attention for like five minutes! I need you to run to FedEx and pick up the new business cards for the office. They just came in and the boss doesn’t want to wait for them to be delivered,” Grace explained._

_“Oh, wow, I’m sorry. I’m just… really tired, I didn’t sleep well at all last night. Those crazy callers from yesterday really stressed me out. I’ll go run and do that right now,” you replied, lying about the reason for your zoning out._

_“Bad sleep” couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, you had slept more peacefully last night than any other night you could remember. As you drove off to pick up the office’s order, you remembered that Sam had that effect on you._

_After being bound and drained of your blood for three days, slipping in and out of alternate realities, quickly losing track of what was real and what wasn’t, you were frightened and anxious, to say the least. You don’t really remember Sam coming into the warehouse or untying you. You came-to in his car, though, a bump jolting you awake. You began to panic, trying to explain what happened because you needed to know whether you were crazy or not, but as soon as you felt Sam’s hand on your shoulder and his calm voice reassure you, you were able to settle down. You’d never felt weaker in your entire life and you began to feel dizzy from the blood-loss. Adrenaline rushing through your brain and into your muscles had given you the last shot of energy to sit up and speak, but after laying back down, you succumbed to the overwhelming fatigue that was weighing down on you. The next thing you remember was laying in a hospital bed, being wheeled down the hall. Again, anxiety began to sweep over you until you saw your mystery man walking right beside the bed. You didn’t know if it was his smile, his soft touch, or the sheer fact that he had confirmed you weren’t crazy that made you unusually calm around him. He smiled down at you reassuringly._

_His presence in the room made the doctor’s examinations and questions much easier to get through. You had to make up a convincing story about your abduction and injuries, so sometimes you could feel panic starting to rise up in your chest, your heart beginning to beat faster. All you had to do, though, was look over at Sam and you were reminded that there was someone else who knew all about this crazy world you had just been introduced to. You didn’t have to experience this alone and in ignorance. You were so thankful that he told you the truth about what had happened to you. Otherwise, returning to reality would’ve been even more difficult than it had been._

_When Sam said he had to leave, you understood why. You knew that this monster needed to be hunted. You just wished that Sam could stay a little bit longer. Your family would be here soon, though. You replayed your last memory of him over and over again as you drove through the city. He had stopped at the sound of your voice, turning around to look at you. Time seemed to slow, and with an intense gaze and soft smile, he answered your request to at least know his name, “It’s Sam.”_

_That was the last time you heard his voice or saw his face. For a few days, everything seemed fine. You went back home after being released from the hospital. The police assured you that they would catch the guy who did this to you. Your family helped you put new locks on the doors and windows of your house for extra protection. They purchased an alarm system for you as well. You went back to work after a few days of recovery, but that’s when things started to go downhill._

_Once you were back out into the real world, every man who looked like your abductor sent chills down your spine and anxiety pulsing through your veins. You began to see him everywhere. In the corner of your eye. In the man on the street who’s face you couldn’t see. At home, any unknown sounds sent you into panic mode. The creak of a floorboard, the wind hitting your screen door, any of it could be that “thing” coming back to finish the job. You couldn’t get his glowing blue eyes out of your head. They haunted you in your dreams, keeping you from sleep. Eventually, it became so bad that you stopped going to work. Venturing outside seemed too dangerous and you had begun to have panic attacks when something reminded you of your kidnapping. You stayed home everyday, depressed by the constant fear in your life and your debilitating condition. It was at this point when your family made you get help. They convinced you to see a doctor who specialized in this type of thing. You were reluctant to talk to her, but within a few minutes of chatting together, you felt you could trust her. She gave you a name to what was happening to you. A name you could use to target your efforts against. PTSD._

_With the therapist’s help, you slowly but surely began to heal. She helped lessen your reactions to your triggers, teaching you how to relax. Since you wouldn’t be able to face your attacker and conquer your fear in-person, she suggested you take self-defense classes so you could not only learn how to protect yourself, but you could also imagine every punch, every kick, every hit landing onto your abductor. You took her advice and enrolled in a self-defense class, a martial arts class, and a course on guns. You put all your time and energy into perfecting your fighting skills. One year later, you left therapy and returned to a new job and a new home. During the next year, your life changed even more. Your best friend had gotten married and moved to New York for a job offer. Her parents retired and spent most of their time traveling. Sometimes your anxiety would seep back into your body, especially since your life felt like it was in a constant flux, but you had it under control. You knew it was only natural to feel this way after experiencing a trauma. And you knew what to do if the day ever came when you had to face this monster head-on._

_Your trip to FedEx took a little longer than expected. The employee seemed annoyed that you had come to pick up the package early, but you told him that you were under “boss’ orders.” You went back to work and finished the rest of the day on a good note. Grace invited you out for drinks after work. You almost agreed to go, but decided against it._

* * *

The first two abandoned warehouses were empty. Sam and Dean were making their way around town, checking out each place on their list. The next one was the djinn’s original place, though. Sam became restless and anxious, fidgeting with his shirt, tapping his fingers on the inside of the Impala’s door. Dean kept his focus on the road. It wasn’t a long drive to this warehouse. It was located in the downtown area of the city, surrounded by other dingy looking buildings. The air was cool and the moon shone bright in the sky, just like last time. Sam took in a sharp breath of air as they approached the warehouse. He became visibly nervous as they began walking to the door. Memories of finding you here, hanging lifeless by your hands from ropes tied to the rafters, your skin ashy white and your head hanging limp, flooded Sam’s mind.

“Dude, what is up with you tonight? Are you sure you’re up for this?” Dean questioned.

“I- yeah, I just have a weird feeling about this place,” Sam answered as they pushed the creaky door open and stepped inside.

Their eyes took a minute to adjust, the moonlit sky outside a sharp contrast to the darkness inside. They got out their flashlights and began their search. The floorboards creaked and protested underneath their feet, the sounds of mice scurrying in the dark could be heard. Moonlight peered through brief holes in the wall, showing how much dust and decay was drifting down from the ceiling. Sam came upon the hall that led to the room where he found you last. He paused, took a deep breath, and started towards the door. He slowly and hesitantly pushed it open while holding a gun in one hand.

“Dean come here!” Sam shouted. Dean sprinted at the sound of Sam’s alarmed voice.

Catherine was there. She looked just like you did when he found you. Sam quickly ran over to cut her down. Dean looked around the room, watching for the djinn. He spotted a wall littered with papers and pictures that looked much newer than the building they were in. Dean went closer to inspect the collage.

“Sam, come here. This is weird.”

Sam was already calling 911. He finished the call and gently laid Catherine down. He walked over to where Dean was standing. Pictures of all the women who had been abducted were taped haphazardly to the wall. Tidbits of scribbled information were scattered in spaces between the photos. And then Sam saw it. Circled and placed directly in the center. Your address.

“Dean, we need to go. Now.”

Almost as if on cue, sirens could be heard in the distance. Thankfully the ambulances responded unusually quickly this time.

“Ok, just stay here with the girl while I go out to the paramedics. We’ll go as soon as they take her,” Dean said, puzzled by Sam’s reaction. He could tell Sam was being serious, though, and he trusted his brother’s instincts.

Dean showed his badge to the EMTs and explained that they were FBI agents working on the kidnapping case. He told them they had to leave because the suspect was on the loose. He showed them to the room where Sam was kneeling down beside Catherine, making sure she was ok. As soon as the paramedics reached her, Sam got up and bolted straight through the door, his eyes staring only straight ahead. Dean ran after him and they got into the car.

“We need to to that address right now. And fast,” Sam said while gripping the inside of the Impala, his knuckles turning white.

Starting up the engine, Dean said, “Ok, can you just tell me what’s going on? I’ve never seen you leave a victim that fast.”

“I’ll explain later. Just drive.”

* * *

_Part of you wished you had gone with Grace and some other coworkers to the bar, but you weren’t really sure about making friends with them. And you had a few things to do around the house. And a new episode of your favorite show was on tonight. Maybe those were excuses for not wanting to be social, maybe they were legitimate reasons, but, whatever they were, for now you were content to stay at home. Long hours at the office, constantly talking on the phone and discussing work, drained you anyway. Once you were home, you changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt and began to check items off your to-do list. Clean out old leftovers: check. Take the trash out to the curb: Check. Go through the mail and file away anything important: Check._

_You threw a frozen pizza into the oven and grabbed a wine glass out of cabinet. Super classy, you thought, grocery store wine and a frozen pizza. But you enjoyed it. You had finished your housework just in time to watch your show. Pouring the wine, you looked out the window above your counter. You had some doubts about your life lately. You wondered if all the stability you had built up around yourself was just a facade. You felt an uneasiness in your stomach as you thought that, at any moment, it could all come crashing down. What if… You shook your head, trying to snap yourself out of this endless waterfall of thoughts. You sat on the couch again to watch your show, kicking off your shoes. During a commercial break, you checked on dinner. Not ready yet. Your show came back on, so you left the kitchen. You sat there, content for the time being although your stomach was nagging you for dinner._

_Then you heard it. A noise. Was it the tv? No, it sounded too close. You paused the show, freezing, your hand suspended in mid-air holding the remote, hairs standing up on your neck, muscles tensed._

_Silence._

_You heard it again, like someone trying to jimmy open a window. You set the remote on the couch and slowly tiptoed to your room at the end of the dark hall, past the bathroom where you could clearly hear someone trying to open the window. The alarm. You forgot to set it for the night. Crap. Your cell phone. Sitting on the couch. You opened the closet door and reached up to the shelf, grabbing your gun. You soundlessly slipped the clip in._

_No. No. No. No. No. NO. This- can’t be- happening- again. Your thoughts in rhythm with your breaths. Pull yourself together. Sweat was on your palms, adrenaline in your veins. Your beating heart was like a drum in your head, thumping like an ominous drum roll working up to the crescendo of an attacker. Clink. The now useless lock on the bathroom window hit the tile. Two footsteps hit the floor. Creaking. The bathroom door slowly swung open. You closed your eyes, taking deep breaths. Just like you practiced. Just like you practiced. The gun was steadied. Hand on the trigger. You opened your eyes. Two glowing blue orbs danced down the hall towards you. A smile slowly revealed in the moonlight through a window gave way to the full image of him._

_Bang. Bang. Bang._

_No hesitation. Your aim was true. Three bullets hit him right where they should. Except…What? No! How is that possible? It didn’t phase him. He continued his advance._

* * *

The Impala squealed to a stop outside of your house.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Dean and Sam’s heads jerked towards the house then towards each other. They flew out of the car, sprinting to your door. Dean wasted no time in kicking it open. Knives in hand, they scanned your living room. Crash. Was that glass? “Y/N!” Sam yelled out. Dean had no time to question how Sam knew your name. They were already down the hall. They stopped. Their eyes followed the scene through the doorway. You were fighting.

* * *

_You fell backwards into a mirror, shattering it._

_No. This wasn’t going to be it. Did someone call your name?_

_The man was closing in on you again. You pushed yourself off the wall._

_You were ending this. Somehow._

_You threw a punch._

_Surprise, jerk._

_The monster wiped blood off his nose, shocked but amused. Your martial arts training kicked in. You blocked his hits._

_Yeah. Gotta get in another hit. Ah!_

_You drew in air as your foot stepped on a piece of broken glass. A distraction._

_Wham._

_Your back slammed into the wall again, then your head._

_What the…_

_Your eyes opened barely enough to see your attacker thump to the ground lifeless, a tall figure looming over him._

_“Y/N!”_

_Yeah… someone had definitely called your name…_

_Darkness._

* * *

Sam carried you out of the room and laid you on the couch, checking you for any serious cuts.

“Dean, find some bandages or something. Her foot is cut,” Sam ordered.

There would be time for questions soon. Dean rummaged through your kitchen drawers. Having no luck, he headed to the bathroom next. Success. He handed the bandages and some hydrogen peroxide to Sam. Sam began to clean your wound and bandage it. He propped your foot up on a couple pillows to help slow the bleeding. He released a stream of air through rounded lips. You were ok.

“What is that smell…” Dean said as him and Sam glanced around the house. Smoke was hazing in from the kitchen. Sam ran into the room. The oven was on and inside was your burnt pizza. Sam quickly turned the oven off and took out the blackened food, coughing and waving smoke from his face. He went back into the living room, stoic, but tensed.

“She was cooking a pizza,” Sam said, unconcerned about the charred food, fully fixated on you.

Dean nodded and then began to question Sam. Enough was enough. “Sam, do you mind telling me what’s going on here? You know this girl?”

Sam relaxed his shoulders and looked up at Dean, “Yeah, I do.”

“Ok…do you mind enlightening me on how exactly you know her?”

“I…She was one of the women from the last case. I found her in the warehouse, just like Catherine.”

“And you didn’t tell me this because…?”

“I was trying to protect her. I didn’t want to drag her back into this mess.”

Dean didn’t say what he was thinking. Sam already knew it. The look was plastered on his face. This could have been prevented if Sam came to protect you sooner.

You moaned. Sam rushed to your side. Dean watched closely, analyzing his brother’s actions as he got onto his knees so he could be closer to your eye level.

“Sam…I don’t, I don’t understand…why…what…who is that?” Your vision was adjusting, your head pounded. Everything was confusing.

“This is my brother, Dean,” Sam said as he stroked hair out of your face, “We were tracking the djinn. He- it was hunting you. We got here just in time.”

“You know, I had it handled,” you joked, smiling playfully as you became oriented again.

Sam’s head bowed as he grinned. He didn’t know you could be so sarcastic, but he liked it. Oh, how you had missed his smile.

Dean observed you two, noticing how Sam was attentive to your every word, how he never broke gaze with you. He saw how you relaxed in his presence, how you talked to him as if you had known him your entire life. Dean’s stomach dropped. This was going to be a hard case to leave. Better not prolong the inevitable then.

Sam was reassuring you, “You’re safe now, ok? He’s not coming-”

Dean cleared his throat. “I hate to break up this reunion, but Sam, it’s late and we should get back to the motel to pack up.”

Sam’s smile faded, his hands dropped. He stood up.

“You’re going to be ok. Your foot should-” he began.

“Wait, what? You guys are just going to up and leave after all of this?” you demanded to know, looking from Dean to Sam. You had gained full consciousness again and, in that moment, something inside of you was resurrected, a drive, a push. You hadn’t felt this spark since before your mom died. You had become content, placid, stagnant. You suddenly were sick of it. You didn’t understand everything that had happened, you barely knew these people standing in your living room, but there was absolutely no way you were letting them waltz out of your life without a decent explanation. And Sam, you knew something was there between the two of you. What it was, what it could’ve been, you didn’t know. But you were determined to make something out of it now. You had a second chance.

Sam looked at his feet, “It’s better if we don’t stick around…”

“Bull. You can’t just storm in here, kill a man, a monster, whatever it is, and then leave me like nothing happened. I want an explanation!” You were almost shouting. Dean raised his eyebrows, impressed at your audacity.

“Well, what would you like to know then, sweetheart?” he said, trying not to grin.

You should’ve thought this through. What would you ask first? Questions swam in your head.

“I want to know if…if you guys would like to go out to eat?” You had no idea what compelled you to say that, but you rolled with it. You were feeling a bit reckless after tonight’s brawl and your emotions were in flux because of Sam.

“You what?” Sam asked, pleasantly surprised.

“You heard me.”

Dean tried to argue, “Look, we can talk here right now-”

“No,” you interrupted, “I’m starving. I’ve been through a lot. I’m sure you guys need something to eat too. Besides, I don’t think my pizza is any good anymore.” You signaled towards the kitchen.

Sam smirked, Dean rolled his eyes, but relented.

“Fine,” he huffed, “Dinner and then we’re done. But I’m picking the place.”

* * *

“So, why didn’t my bullets stop this thing?” you said, looking at Sam with a mouth full of food.

“Djinn have to be killed in a particular way. Most creatures do. For a djinn, it’s a knife dipped in lamb’s blood,” Sam explained

“So I really didn’t have it handled back there?” You laughed, attempting to muffle the thought that you might not have actually made it out of alive.

“Well, you were doing pretty good,” Sam encouraged you, noticing the slight falter in your tone, “I didn’t know you could fight.”

“I learned how to, after, you know, everything that happened.”

Sam’s face softened with sadness, his eyes looking at you with sincere concern, but he and Dean were both taken with your determination.

“So, any more questions?” Dean asked you, eager to get on the road and put this all behind him and Sammy. It was probably going to be even harder for him to leave you now.

“I think that’s all. Thanks for sticking around,” you smiled although you knew this all was about to end. Sam was about to leave your life again.

Dean took one last drink and set his cup on the table then slid out of the booth. Sam followed. You stood up, facing them, not sure what to do next.

“Well, kiddo, stay safe. Although I’m sure if anyone tries anything, you’ll know how to handle it,” Dean said to you. You smiled in return, nodding in agreement.

You turned to Sam. What could possibly be said now, in this moment? He took you by surprise and wrapped his arms around you. You tensed up at first, but relaxed into his impromptu embrace. You rested your head on his chest. He was so much taller than you. You hadn’t realized it until now. He kissed the top of your head lightly.

“Stay safe, ok?”

“I will.”

His arms slowly fell to his sides, brushing along yours as they lowered. The two brothers walked away. You stood there and watched them leave, you were watching Sam walk out of your life again, just like the last time. You felt more like a spectator than a participant. But now you were being torn in all directions, you felt a pounding inside your chest, your brain and heart at war. What was here for you? A job you hated. Acquaintances you never went out with. A lonely, achingly silent house.

You bolted out the door, just in time to see Sam pulling his legs into the Impala, “Wait!”

He paused then got out of the car. Dean turned to look at you then followed Sam’s lead. You ran, stopping by the door.

“Take me with you.”

Sam’s face twisted in heartache, confusion, and hopefulness.

“Whoah, whoah whoah,” Dean protested, “Not gonna happen.”

You felt like the air had just been sucked from your lungs. This had been a big, embarrassing mistake.

“Why- why not?” Your voice was small and weak now.

“Because this life isn’t pretty. You don’t know the first thing about what it takes to do what we do,” Dean answered. His tone showed no mercy.

“Then show me, teach me. I’m a fast learner. You saw me back there, I can fight.”

“It takes a lot more than that.”

You turned to Sam now.

“Y/N, this isn’t the kind of life you want. It’s dangerous. It’s hard. Just…go back to your house, to your family, your friends. It’s better that way,” Sam answered.

You began to let tears fall down your face. “No!” you were shouting now, “My life is- it’s nothing right now! I hate my job, I don’t have friends, my family moved away. I don’t do anything! You know, my life felt apart after you left, Sam. I was crippled by my memories of that monster. The only thing that got me through was imagining it dead. And remembering you. You know, I think about the last time I saw you all the time. And now I’m here and the monster’s dead and your back in my life and I…and I…” You were sobbing now, the weight of the night’s events and the uncertainty of the future weighing on you.

Then you felt Sam’s warm embrace again. You cried into his shirt.

“Please don’t go…”

Sam turned his head to look at Dean. Dean was unrelenting.

“Dean…”

“Don’t even suggest it, Sam. We know this is for the best.”

You spoke up again, taking your face out of Sam’s shirt, “Look, I- I’m not asking for some permanent place in your life, but I need to get out of here. You said there’s monsters out there everywhere, right? Well why can’t I help fight them too? I want to stop them from doing to other people what they did to me. If it doesn’t work out, then fine. I just, I need a chance.”

Dean, noticing Sam’s resolve crumbling away, said, “Sam, you can’t possibly be thinking this is ok.”

“I don’t know, Dean. You saw her back at her house. She can handle herself. Maybe it won’t work out, but…”

“You have to try.” Dean understood what Sam meant, he understood his need for something other than this life. Dean was divided. He wanted his brother to be happy, but he knew it would probably end badly just like it had in the past. But Dean sort of liked you, too. You were funny, tough, honest. You had potential. Besides, any girl who could eat as much as he could could hang with him any day. So, for Sam, he took a chance.

“Look, I’m not promising some permanent living arrangement here, but if you want a taste of hunting, you can have it.”

You felt a warm elation spread throughout your body and a sense of thrill flutter in your stomach. Finally, for the first time since your mother died, since your world was turned upside down for a second time, you felt like you were going somewhere. Sam and you looked into each other’s eyes, grinning wildly and you let a giggle escape your lips. What would happen in these next few weeks, you didn’t know. Hunting would be the most difficult thing you’ve ever done, but you knew you had a chance for a different life. A life with purpose. A life with Sam.


End file.
